Richard Florida - Notable author of books such as Rise of the Creative Class and Who's Your City A leading figure and public speaker in the field of economic development Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute and Professor of Business and Creativity at the University of Toronto (Florida, 2012; Rushton, 2006) Richard Florida argues that attracting members of the "creative class" will boost human capital and increase production and livability in cities The world is also getting spikier (Florida, 2012; Bellows, 2011; Rushton, 2006) Cities are more than just accumulations of capital and labour The transformation of the North American economy (Martin prosperity Institute, 2009; Florida, 2012b; Florida, 2002) Transition from brawn to creativity At the turn of the century: 5% creative class workersToday: 30% of Canadian workforce in creative occupations Florida asserts that we are undergoing a transformation similar in scale to the shift from Agricultural to Industrial economies The creative economy has higher earning potential and plenty of economic influence Neo-liberalization and the creative economy (Peck, 2005) Cities are not merely sites where delegated actions take place Downloading of responsibilities to local government and authorities Competition no longer based on tax breaks & development schemes Capitalism based on human creativity, requiring supply-side intervention $$$$ THE CREATIVE CLASS About the creative class The "4 Ts" of attracting creative workers THE CREATIVE CLASS (Florida, 2002) highly educated, well-paid, highly mobile Thrive in "plug-and-play" communities Crave a stimulating mix of work culture and social culture Seek authentic urban experiences Drawn to locations with demonstrated openness to diversity and unique attributes The creative class is changing the way cities focus on economic development We must understand the desired amenities of this class so we can develop policies to attract creative workers Structure of the creative class Super- creative core: engineers, university professors, artists, designers, editors, cultural figures, think-tank researchers, analysts creative professionals: high-tech sectors, financial services, the legal and healthcare professions, business management (Florida, 2002) THE GEOGRAPHY OF COOL The Economist has outlined some of the desired features of a neighbourhood for creative people - cheap, solid housing - cultural diversity - edgy and unique street culture - surrounded by other "bohemians" and "fellow nerds" - thick labour markets: many job opportunities (The Economist, 2000) Richard Florida: "Today, it seems, leading creative centers provide a solid mix of high-tech industry, plentiful outdoor amenities, and an older urban center whose rebirth has been fueled in part by a combination of creativity and innovative technology, as well as lifestyle amenities." The "4 Ts" of attracting the creative class (McLaren, 2012; Peck, 2005; Martin Prosperity Institute, 2009) - Technology

- Talent

- Tolerance

- Territory assets transforming research into marketable products Universities play a large role strategies to attract the creative class knowledge-intensive industries require education receptive to immigration & alternative lifestyles low entry barriers quality of place & social cohesion Case study: SEATTLE DEVELOPMENT -Early economic base revolved around the timber industry-Rail access aided population growth in addition to economic diversification-Canada’s gold rush results in economic boom-World War I fuels the early development of transportation systems and public electrical power-World War II creates economic growth resulting from Boeings increased employment-Continued growth of existing businesses and development of high tech firms have steadied the economy ROLE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS SEATTLE -Information and Communication Technology-Smart Energy-Aerospace-World class university-Proximity to Canada and focus on the Pacific Rim SEATTLE INVESTING IN SEATTLE'S RESIDENTS -Community Power Works Initiative-Small Business Support SEATTLE INVESTING IN SEATTLE'S ECONOMIC STRENGTHS -Business sector agenda-Increased funding of Neighbourhood Business Districts SEATTLE INVESTING IN SMART INFRASTRUCTURE -Building a broadband fiber network-Increased public transit capacity-Alternative transportation methods-Utility investments SEATTLE INVESTING IN SEATTLE'S ENTREPRENEURS -Improved customer service-Increased business financing-Active retention-Alternative land uses Case study: TORONTO DEVELOPMENT FIRST ERA end of WWII-1960sEmphasis on educational, physical and social infrastructure implementationTelecommuniction and automobile industries increasedOfficial Plan: Initiatives to maintain downtown coreCulture Plans: Funding for Arts and Culture SECOND ERA 1970s- mid 1980sFurther emphasis on previous social infrastructures financial and business services migration from Montreal- TorontoCame to be known as Canada’s economic capital THIRD ERA 1980s-mid 1990sAFTA outsourcing of manufacturing jobsDecrease of manufacturing jobs within the city(24% manufacturing employment in 1981- 13.5% in 2006)Rapidly increased expansion of creative and cultural industries FOURTH ERA Transition into “World City”already a leading technological hub in Canada and extremely multiculturalFocus directed to hoarding young talent; competing for title as creative cityCity of Toronto Official Plan- 30 Year Plan:DiversificationBeautificationDiversificationLeadership in the International Scene TORONTO THE ROLE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS Intensification of arts, culture and heritage: will play a part in attracting educated/talented people, reducing “brain drain” which will lead to further and lasting economic prosperityDefine Toronto’s imagePut Toronto in the global competition of world creativity and innovation capitalsAlongside London, New York and Berlin Toronto London TORONTO KEY ISSUE Toronto’s planning and governance is living in the past, while cultural development is in high gear development- decentralizing city powers in order to cover necessary means to develop the creative city- Creating new sources of revenue- Solidifying data and information on development TORONTO CREATIVE CITY: CITY OF TORONTO ACT Community Improvement Program (CIP)- Revitalization of certain areas in order to enhance the overall usability and vibeGentrification or renewal of communities due to age, degradation, density, for social, environmental or economic reasons. Tax Increment Financing (TIF)increases property taxes on area of development and the surrounding areas to create more tax revenue to subsidize the costs of the newer developments Urban Development BanksBridges gap between financial institutions and the final cost of the project Municipal Cultural Planning - Building capacity in important elements in development : Mapping, Governance and Engagement TORONTO CREATIVE ECONOMY Economic Development Strategy (2001)Arts and culture as main theme to develop city into global competitorFocused on attractiveness of city and location Strategies:Prosperity ProjectsTourism Action Plan TIFF, Nuit Blanch, Investments in existing cultural/heritage facilities TORONTO CREATIVE CULTURE AND INDUSTRIES Culture Plan for the Creative City (2003)Entails development in each sphere of the city- culture, environmental, economicalPeople, Enterprise, Space and ConnectivityStrategies/Developers:MaRS CentreFilmportTO Live With Culture TORONTO CREATIVE DISTRICTS AND HUBS Creative Convergence Project (2007)Initiatives to create cultural and economic hubs with in creative industries sectorVibrancy in these places to improve quality of placeMunicipal Cultural Planning Strategies:-Cultural Facilities Analysis (2003)- Waterfront Design Review PanelBusiness Improvement Area ProgramDistillery District Case study: ST. JOHN'S ESTABLISHED TODAY One of the first established areas in North AmericaConstantly fought overBurned down in the great fire of 1892First transatlantic wireless signal from England 19011990 collapse of the cod fishing industry CURRENT STATE Currently a population of 196,966 which is an increase of 8% since 2006This small city feel is what makes it desirable when compared to larger cities with strong creative centresSmall independent creative sector (Photography, film, music etc.) ST. JOHN'S ROLE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS Highest ranking in Canada with 28.1% of the labour force employed in a creative class occupationDefinition of St. John’s, core of the areaJobs are not stable in the area with a high layoff rate

Advantage to some using the time off to work on projects ST. JOHN'S IDENTIFYING TALENT According to Florida, the talent index only includes those with bachelor degrees or higher and does not count community collage etc.St John’s is currently average with nearby areas like Halifax being the second highestNationally, 24.3% of the labour force employed in a creative class occupation. Atlantic Canada, St. John’s, Charlottetown and Halifax all surpassed the Canadian averageSt. John’s had the highest proportion of creative workers with 28.1%, or 25,400 workers in the category (Halifax is at 27%) (Barrieau, 2006) ST. JOHN'S POPULATION Very slow increase, about 3 people a yearStill in the average but places like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal are dominating as creative coresFor a small area in Canada the steady increase is expectedThe small town community and feel appeals to many ST. JOHN'S CREATIVE COMMUNITY Creative downtown coreCommunity type festivals and events ST. JOHN'S HOW DOES IT RANK? (Barrieau, 2006) ST. JOHN'S Can it hold up at a National level? Atlantic Level? The main draw to St. John’s is the small town feel However, is more better? Allows an intricate community with many relying on each otherLarge cities = Large populations = more social networks Smaller, more dense networks that have become highly developed is what attracts the creative to this areaFeeling of leaving a family group in order to go to a big city (makes it more difficult/less likely) St. John's Toronto vs BIGGER CITIES, MORE OPPORTUNITY? Most end up heading to areas with a more developed creative class like: Halifax, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver etc (Lepawsky, P., Phan, C., & Greenwood, R., 2010) ST. JOHN'S WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? Has St. John’s reached its capacity?At what point does it become too developed and lose that small city feelLimitations to a small city, many will want to proceed in their careers and can only do so to a certain extentAttraction for specific types of people who are looking for that type of atmosphere THE CREATIVE CLASS Conclusion

Barrieau, N. (2006). University of Moncton, Creative Class and Economic Development: The Case of Atlantic Canada’s Urban Centres. The Canadian Institute for Research on Public Policy and Public Administration (CIRPPA)